Communal eating

Portuguese culture revolves around food. We express love, sympathy, joy and pretty much every other emotion, through food. The idea of eating alone or in front of the TV is a foreign concept to most families and I really miss that. A meal is a time to sit and enjoy each others company and your average Portuguese has more than a passing preoccupation with food. Meet them for a coffee in the morning and all they'll be able to think of is where they're going to lunch and have dinner. Only then, with food assured in their future, can they relax, anxiety dispelled. Portions are always generous (it's hard to be polite and clear your plate when your beaming hostess has just plonked half a cow on top of it) and company is a regular occurrence. When I was small we'd regularly go away for a weekend in someones country house in a big group, adults, children, family friends all together. My father used to joke that at all times during the holiday we were either about to eat, eating, clearing up after a meal or deciding what to eat next. The dining room is important. Although our new house will see our dining table in the kitchen, I found a few examples of Portuguese dining rooms in CARAS Decoração that I wanted to share while I dream of space.